Lava Fountain Destroys Live Camera On Hawaii’s Kīlauea Volcano

On December 6th, 2025, eruption episode 38 occurred on the summit of Kīlauea in the Halema‘uma‘u crater in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. The eruption sent fountains of lava over 1,000 feet into the air from the south vent, inclining to the south. The fountain went so far that a United States Geological Survey livestream camera, V3, was covered and destroyed, capturing the moment on video before going completely dark.

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The episode began at around 8:45am on December 6th. Camera V3, located in a hazardous closed area of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, was buried by the inclined lava fountain between 9:55 and 9:57am. While certainly a tragic loss, cameras V1 and V2 are still up and running, providing a live look at the very active volcano.

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• Hawaii
• MountainNational Parks